The mystical Stonehenge is one of the most iconic symbols of English history and culture, captivating tourists because of its mysterious beauty and soothing calm.
The curiosity to understand our past makes this site one of the most popular tourist attractions of London.
In this article, we try and share everything you need to know about Stonehenge, just outside of London. The topics covered are –
1. Open hours
2. Stonehenge tickets price
3. Stonehenge for free
4. Stonehenge tickets
5. Tours from London
6. Stonehenge and Bath tours
7. Stonehenge tours from Bath
8. Best combo tours
9. FAQs about Stonehenge
Where is Stonehenge located?
Stonehenge is located in the country of Wiltshire on Salisbury Plain in England. It is 90 miles or so west from Central London.
The nearest town is Amesbury and the nearest large town, 9.5 miles South to Stonehenge, is Salisbury.
How to get from London to Stonehenge
Tourists often plan a one day trip to visit the countryside which includes a stop at the enthralling mystical stone circle of Stonehenge.
They either prefer to travel via public transport or through packaged tours.
From London to Stonehenge via public transport
If you want to travel from London to Stonehenge via public transport, you will first have to reach Salisbury which is about 9.5 miles away from Stonehenge.
It is the nearest town to Stonehenge that has a railway station with frequent trains to London.
Trains run from London Waterloo direct to Salisbury every thirty minutes from 6.30 am.
The fastest train would take 1 hour and 22 minutes.
You can also catch the Stonehenge tour bus from Salisbury as there is no public bus service to Stonehenge.
London to Stonehenge via tour packages
While traveling independently might be preferable for some, the many tour packages from London are the easiest and the cheapest way to visit Stonehenge.
There are different types of tours available to Stonehenge from London.
There are Stonehenge only tours that go to Stonehenge from London and back and then there are combo tours where you visit other sites as well.
The trip from London to Stonehenge takes approximately two hours. Most tourists plan their trip to Stonehenge and some add two or more attractions to make it a full day trip.
The most popular tours are Stonehenge and Roman City of Bath, and tour of Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle. More details further in the article.
Stonehenge opening times
Stonehenge is open daily, except on three days – 24th, 25th, and 26th December.
The Stonehenge open hours and closing times vary depending on the ongoing season.
30 Mar to 31 May: 9.30 am to 7 pm
1 Jun to 31 Aug: 9 am to 8 pm
1 Sept to 15 Oct: 9.30 am to 7 pm
16 Oct to 29 Mar: 9.30 am to 5 pm
Stonehenge tickets price
Stonehenge ticket prices are nominal. They range from as low as 10.50 Euros for kids between the age 5 and 17 years to the high of around 17.50 Euros for a full adult ticket.
When it comes to Stonehenge ticket price you should know a few things –
To buy your Stonehenge ticket at reduced prices, you must book your tickets online, in advance. The full adult online ticket is almost 2 Euros cheaper than when you buy it at the venue.
Buying tickets at the venue costs more because ticketing window surcharge is added to the cost of the ticket. After all, it costs to maintain a ticketing window and a person to man the window.
When you buy online tickets, you also avoid the lines at the ticketing counter.
While purchasing Stonehenge tickets you have the choice of donating 10% of the actual ticket cost. This donation then goes into ensuring England’s most important historic sites can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.
However, be aware that if you opt to donate ‘Gift Aid,’ the cost of your Stonehenge ticket goes up by 10%.
Stonehenge for free
Kids four years and below walk into Stonehenge for free.
English Heritage and National Trust members can also visit Stonehenge for free. However, they must book their tickets in advance.
If you don’t fall under any of the above categories and still want to visit Stonehenge for free, we have a hack for you.
How to visit Stonehenge for free
While on your way to Stonehenge from London, you will reach a town called Amesbury. Once there, put in these coordinates on your Google Map – 51°10’33.0″N 1°49’57.5″W. View on Google Map
These coordinates take you to a dirt road which will come on your right-hand side, close to Stonehenge. Take a right here, find a spot to park your car and start walking towards the Stonehenge ticket booth. After crossing the ticketing booth, you must continue walking.
After about 150 meters or so, you will spot a fence which allows you to enter the grasslands on your right.
Enter through this fence and keep walking on the path made on the grass (by many tourists who have walked this path, before you) and you will spot Stonehenge to your right. See detailed path here
The experience isn’t as awesome as a ticketed entry, but hey…you wanted to see Stonehenge for free.
Stonehenge tickets
The Stonehenge tickets are timed. When you book your Stonehenge admission, you must select the time you will be at the attraction’s entrance.
You can choose any time from 9.30 am to 2.30 pm – in half hour slots. Once inside, you can spend as much time in Stonehenge as you want.
Online tickets aren’t sold for same day entry. However, a small percentage of Stonehenge tickets are saved for walk-up visitors and are sold from the ticket counter at the venue.
If you can take care of your transport from London to Stonehenge, go ahead and book your Stonehenge Admission ticket now!
If you need help with transport from London to Stonehenge, there are numerous options available to you. We present below the different kinds of Stonehenge tours from the city of London.
Stonehenge tours from London
There are two kinds of Stonehenge tours from London – the self-guided tours and the guided tours.
Self-guided Stonehenge tours from London
You have the option of taking this self-guided tour in the morning or evening.
1. Morning tour from London to Stonehenge
This is a five-hour tour from London to the mysterious pre-historic stone circle of Stonehenge.
Your air-conditioned coach departs from central London at 8.30 am. You will be expected to report by 8.15 am.
The moment you arrive at the attraction, you will get the audio guide for exploring Stonehenge.
Ticket Prices
Adult ticket (17-59 years): 51 Pounds
Seniors Ticket (60+ years): 50 Pounds
Students Ticket (18-25 years, with valid ID): 50 Pounds
Children Ticket (3-16 years): 48 Pounds
2. Afternoon tour from London to Stonehenge
This is a six-hour tour from London to Stonehenge.
You will have to explore the pre-historic attraction on your own, with the official audio guide, available in 9 languages.
Like the morning tour, the afternoon tour also includes transportation in an air-conditioned coach.
During the summer months (between 1 April to 15 October) you must report at Victoria Coach Station at 1.45 pm and the tour starts at 2 pm.
During the winter months (between 16 October to 31 March), the tour departs at 11 am and the reporting time is 10.45 am.
Ticket Prices
Adult ticket (17-59 years): 51 Pounds
Seniors Ticket (60+ years):48 Pounds
Students Ticket (18-25 years, with valid ID):41 Pounds
Children Ticket (3-16 years):48 Pounds
Guided Stonehenge tours from London
The guided tours are mostly private tours and hence are a bit costly. However, they are ideal for families, friends or corporate groups.
1. Stonehenge tour from London in Range Rover
This four-hour tour allows you to visit the mysterious stone circle of Stonehenge from London in a Range Rover.
The tour includes pick-up service from the Central London Hotels along with a professional guide.
It is ideal if yours is a group of 4 tourists or less.
For a full refund, you must cancel this tour 24 hours before the scheduled start.
Ticket Price: 650 Pounds
2. Stonehenge day trip from London in Minivan
This four-hour tour takes you from London to Stonehenge, in a luxurious, spacious chauffeur driven Minivan.
The tour includes pick-up service from the Central London Hotels along with a professional guide.
This tour is perfect for groups of six and less.
You can cancel this tour up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Ticket Price: 550 Pounds
Stonehenge and Bath tours from London
Tourists visiting London almost always add two attractions outside the city to their itinerary – Stonehenge and the city of Bath.
Bath is 61 KMs (38 Miles) from Stonehenge and usually takes an hour to reach.
The UNESCO-listed city of Bath has quite a few points of interests, the most important being the Roman Baths.
Two types of Stonehenge and Bath tours are popular amongst the tourists:
1) Tours which include a visit to the Roman Baths and a tour of the city
2) Tours where the Roman Bath is skipped and the more time is spent exploring the city
1. Day trip from London to Stonehenge and Roman Baths
This day-long tour starts from Earls Court Underground Station at 9 am and lasts till around 8 pm in the evening.
Travel to Stonehenge is by an AC coach, and once at the attraction, you get to spend 90 minutes exploring it.
You then travel by the same coach to the city of Bath.
This ticket includes access to the well-preserved Roman Baths, after which you get to explore of rest of the city.
The coach departs for London at 4.30 pm and reaches the English capital at around 8 pm.
You will have a tour guide during this trip.
Ticket Price
Adult ticket (17+ years): 69 Pounds
Children Ticket (0-16 years):62 Pounds
2. From London: Stonehenge and Bath city tour
This tour includes transportation in an air-conditioned coach, audio guide as well as a tour manager
The journey from London to Stonehenge takes around 2 hours, then you get 90-120 minutes to explore the attraction.
After you have seen the mysterious stone circle, the tour moves to the Georgian streets of Bath, visiting landmarks such as Bath Abbey and the Royal Crescent.
In fact, you will get dropped off in the city center, so that you can explore the city on your own.
You leave the city of Bath at 4.30 pm and reach London around 8 pm.
Ticket Price
Adult ticket (17-59 years): 52 Pounds
Children Ticket (3-16 years): 47 Pounds
Stonehenge tours from Bath
More than 5 Million day visitors reach the city of Bath every year. More than a Million stay overnight in the city annually.
The primary attraction in the city is the Roman Baths, which themselves attract more than a Million tourists annually.
Many tourists decide to camp at Bath and then explore the area around. After all, Stonehenge is just an hour’s drive from Bath.
In fact, some tourists camping in Bath stretch and head for the city of Avebury, which is 39 KMs (24 Miles) North of Stonehenge.
Due to the proximity of these sites, tourists visiting Bath often plan a trip to Stonehenge or to both the Stonehenge and the Avebury.
There are two Stonehenge tours from Bath –
1. Private tour to Stonehenge from Bath
This four hours private guided tour from Bath will allow you to experience the mysterious stone circle of Stonehenge.
Around 1.30 pm, the Guide will pick you up from your hotel in Bath. You will then drive down the one hour distance to Stonehenge.
Ticket Price
1 Person: 230 Pounds
2 Person group: 250 Pounds
3 Person group: 270 Pounds
4 Person group: 290 Pounds
5 Person group: 310 Pounds
6 Person group: 330 Pounds
2. Tour to Stonehenge and Avebury from Bath
This is a one day private guided tour which includes a pick up from and drop to your hotel in Bath.
Your private guide first drives you from Bath to Avebury, home to the world’s largest stone circle.
The tour then moves to West Kennet Long Barrow, an ancient burial site that was constructed around 3,650 BC.
Post lunch you start driving towards Stonehenge and spend almost 2 hours exploring England’s most famous landmark.
The tour provides private A/C transportation.
During winters, the order of the sites visited might be changed depending on the changing hours of these attractions.
Ticket Price
1 Person: 415 Pounds
2 Person group: 430 Pounds
3 Person group: 445 Pounds
4 Person group: 460 Pounds
5 Person group: 475 Pounds
6 Person group: 490 Pounds
Stonehenge combo tours
Since visiting Stonehenge means getting out of the city of London, the tourists try and combine it with other attractions nearby.
After all, there is so much to see just outside of London. For instance, you can combine your visit to Stonehenge with Bath, West Country, Windsor, Oxford, Lacock, Cotswold, Avebury, Winchester, or Glastonbury.
If you are looking for combo tours which also include Stonehenge, check out our exhaustive list below –
1. Tour of Bath, Stonehenge & West Country
2. Tour of Windsor, Stonehenge & Oxford
3. Tour of Windsor Castle, Stonehenge & Bath
4. Tour of Lacock, Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge
5. Tour of Cotswolds, Stonehenge, and Bath
6. Tour of Stonehenge, Bath, Lacock & Avebury
7. Tour of Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath & Salisbury
8. Tour of Stonehenge, Winchester, and Glastonbury
Note: All these are smartphone tickets. These tickets get emailed to your inbox, and you just show the ticket on your smartphone screen at the attraction. All these tickets also have a 24 hours refund policy. If you cancel 24 hours before your planned visit, you get all your money back.
Frequently asked questions about Stonehenge
Tourists planning to visit Stonehenge have lots of questions. We present below the most frequently asked questions about this attraction in London –
1. What is Stonehenge?
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument consisting of a ring of standing stones, with each standing stone around 13 feet high, 7 feet wide and weighing around 25 tons.
It is located at Wiltshire, England, 2 miles west of Amesbury and stands in the middle of the densest complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England.
2. How far is Stonehenge from London?
Stonehenge is located around 145 KMs (90 Miles) from Central London. Accounting for the regular traffic it takes around 2 hours to reach Stonehenge from London.
3. How was Stonehenge built?
It has always been astounding to see such an enormous monument built in the Neolithic age with simple tools stand erect for centuries.
Archaeologists believe that the Stonehenge was built in several stages. The first monument at Stonehenge, a circular earthwork enclosure, was built in about 3000 BC.
Antler tools were used to dig a ditch and the chalk was piled up to make an inner and outer bank.
The ditch had a ring of 56 stone posts used as a cremation cemetery for several centuries.
In 2500 BC, the central stone settings of Stonehenge were constructed.
Enormous Sarsen stones and smaller bluestones were constructed by people with a lot of organized effort.
Although it is hard to pinpoint its origin and the mode of transport used, archaeologists believe that that the Sarsen stones were hauled form the Marlborough Downs, 20 miles away and the smaller bluestones came from the Preseli Hills in South West Wales.
In a field North of Stonehenge, Sarsen and bluestone waste material and broken hammerstones have been found. Proof that the stones were worked into shape, nearby.
Some stones were more carefully finished than the others according to laser surveys of the stones. They were erected using precisely interlinking joints.
Experts believe that it took almost 50 years to erect the stones and around 800 years to completely develop this masterpiece. The ground-breaking technology used to construct this monument remains one of the most amazing feats of that time.
4. Who built Stonehenge?
The beauty of the Stonehenge brings along with it many mysteries. One of these mysteries is regarding the question of who built the Stonehenge.
Many have attributed it to the Saxons, the Romans or even the Egyptians.
Geoffrey of Monmouth, a 12th-century writer, famous for his tale of King Arthur and a mythical account of English history argued that the Stonehenge was built by the mystical wizard Merlin.
This theory, however, has come into question because archaeologists have found out that the construction of the monument predates Merlin (or at least the real-life figures that inspired him).
In the 17th century, archaeologist John Aubrey claimed that the Stonehenge was the work of Celtic druids, a theory which was widely popularized by an antiquarian William Stukeley after he found primitive graves at the site.
Many modern druids still gather around the Stonehenge for the summer solstice.
However, radiocarbon dating of the site revealed that Stonehenge was there 1000 years before the Celts.
5. Why was Stonehenge built?
The purpose of building Stonehenge is based on conjecture but the sheer efforts put to erect the stones and the magnitude of its scale implies that it had a significant purpose.
While some say that it was meant as a memorial erected to honor and spiritually connect with distant ancestors, many believe that the stones were an astrological calendar.
Stonehenge is aligned northeast-southwest with a particular emphasis on the solstice and equinox points.
Turning 180 degrees, at the precise moment of the winter solstice, the sun sets exactly between the largest Sarsen stones. Researchers argue that at the time of its construction, society had become dependent on seasons for successful agricultural harvest.
Many experts claim that the builders could not have had the knowledge necessary to see such events. And the dense cloud cover of England would have obscured their view of the skies.
After recently finding signs of injury and ailment in the human remains unearthed, the researchers claim that the place might have been a place of healing.
6. Stonehenge mystery
The mysteries surrounding the erected stone circle of Stonehenge surpasses any practical explanations for the existence of Stonehenge.
This 4000 years old set of stones laid out in concentric rings and horseshoe shapes is one of the mysterious places in the world.
There are countless theories and speculations, ranging from the plausible to the unlikely to the fantastic.
The fantastic ones range from it being a landing site for aliens. There are plausible theories as well where people assess the celestial alignment as either sacred or scientific.
The theories and mysteries of Stonehenge keeps getting re-invented and told through various modern forms and will engross people for many centuries to come.
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